WHITE CO., Ill. – A woman from Mt. Vernon, Illinois, is off to Illinois Department of Corrections after a sentencing in her White County case.

White County State’s Attorney Denton Aud said that on Wednesday morning, September 11, Natasha R. Crawford, 40, was sentenced to two years IDOC after a plea in her Class 4 felony Violation of Order of Protection case.

Crawford initially was sentenced to probation in the 2018 case, but violated that probation and ended up with the sentence she has now. She received 11 days credit for time served on the sentence. Following release, Crawford will have to stay on four years of parole.

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WHITE CO., Ill. – A Norris City troublemaker may have apologized to the deputy who took him in at gunpoint…but that didn’t ameliorate his circumstances, including multiple warrants from multiple counties, after what prompted his arrest.

White County Sheriff Doug Maier released reports regarding the arrest of Braddon Turrentine, 31, who was the subject of a call Sunday morning, September 8, at approximately 10:50 a.m.

Turrentine, of the same rummy batch, we’re told, that brought you Richland County crim Lil Nate Turrentine, was, like other Turrentines, a fixture in the pages of our paper well over a decade ago, which is why there’s little to reference regarding hotlinks except this one (it’s on the free side, lucky you), but with this incident, it appears he’s poised to make a spectacular comeback…or maybe craptacular, as the case maybe.

When the deputy was called about Braddon (apparently someone’s creative way of spelling “Braden,” but prompts people with knowledge and understanding of the English language to want to pronounce it “BRAD-dunn”) Turrentine, it came from a residence in the recently-crim-plagued village of Enfield in north White County. Said residence was the home of Andrea Stocke, at a rural location outside the village.

White County Dispatch advised that Turrentine was at this residence and would not leave. But when the deputy arrived, Turrentine had left, and Stocke advised that she didn’t want to sign a complaint. She did tell the deputy what vehicle Turrentine was in, however – a red Ford Ranger – and so the deputy went on to patrol that area of the county, apparently looking for said vehicle.

At approximately 11:18 a.m., he was patrolling southbound on Route 45 at the north side of Enfield when he saw a red Ford Ranger pickup turn onto Wilson Street. At Prairie Street in Enfield, the deputy reports, the vehicle turned east. The deputy noted that it looked to be Turrentine behind the wheel.

At the location of Prairie Street and Brockett Street, the deputy initiated his emergency lights to try and stop the truck, but it did not stop. The deputy then turned on his siren, but the vehicle still didn’t stop. It then drove to County Road 300E, where it turned south, then drove on to 1450N and turned back east. The vehicle, the deputy noted, was “running very badly.”

At approximately 1450N and 250E, Turrentine stopped the vehicle. He placed his hands outside the window, and the deputy reports that he ordered Turrentine out at gunpoint, then ordered him to get on the ground. Turrentine was single-handedly brought in by the deputy after being placed in handcuffs and seated in the back of the squad…as well as after apologizing for his actions, adding that he “didn’t want to go back to jail.”

That, however, was not an avoidable thing.

Besides being charged under this incident for Driving While License Revoked, Fleeing and Eluding, Possession of Cannabis and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, it turns out that Turrentine was also wanted on warrants out of his home county of White (Class 2 felony Possession of a Stolen Vehicle from May of this year), as well as Saline (Class 2 felony Possession of a Stolen Vehicle from March of this year) and Jefferson (a 2018 civil case wherein a default judgment – indicating he didn’t even show up – was entered in favor of the complainant, Orthopaedic Center of Southern Illinois, just in case you’ve been wondering why medical care is so high these days; people don’t pay their bills).

All warrants were served, and Turrentine was held on those as well as the new charges.

As of today, Turrentine remains where he didn’t want to be… in the White County Jail.

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We aren’t like all the other simpering media “covering” southern Illinois…we say what everybody else is thinking, and we say it LOUD. So please join us on our remaining social networking pages: Gab, Minds.com and Twitter (although we’re considering dumping that swill – Twitter – too). Also, if you, unlike us, still have a Facebook page, feel free to share this on that page, too! The more you share, the longer we can stay around…so get clicking! And if you find yourself clicking a hotlink on a name or entity featured in this report that leads to a “you must be logged in to do that” response, hey…log in! Get yourself a Day Pass for only $2.99, or a Week Pass for only $4.99, to explore the vast resources of news we’ve provided in the e-Edition for the past SEVEN years…that’s right, every print version we’ve ever produced is right there, along with e-Edition Xtras and other pay-only articles, for literally pennies. Join today…click this link to get started!

SO. ILLINOIS – The two bodies reported at this link last week have been identified by authorities, and neither of them are among the plethora of missing people in downstate Illinois.

However, Centralia authorities haven’t publicly released the name of the male whose body was found in a vacant house there.

That particular situation emerged on August 27 when the decomposed body was found. An autopsy was conducted, but it indicates that the man, who was 43 years of age, died of natural causes, so foul play is not on the table. When his family has been fully notified, his name will be released. Authorities did state that the man was transient, and had recently been released from a local hospital following an illness. It’s uncertain how long the body was in the vacant house, but authorities have stated that it would have been at least two weeks. His identification was found in his clothing, and he’s been positively identified by specific tattoos on the body.

The other body, found in Jefferson County south of the village of Ina two days before (Aug. 25) in a field near an oil well, has been identified as a Lithuanian tourist traveling through the area from Nashville (Tenn.) to Chicago: Bena Bacanskas, 27, of the Republic of Lithuania.

How Bacanskas got from traveling between the two major cities to an oil pump in nowheresville JeffCo is uncertain; however, the Jefferson County Coroner has already noted that, like the previously-mentioned death in Centralia, no foul play was suspected. An autopsy has been conducted, but the coroner’s office can’t determine the actual cause of death until toxicology/lab reports come back.

Many who have loved ones missing in southern Illinois are always hopeful when they hear about a body being found in any location in downstate, as it might mean the remains are their missing loved one and they can now put the matter to rest. there are still many missing, however; you can read about some of them at the articles featured at this link.

JEFFERSON/MARION COs., Ill. – Two bodies found in separate locations between Jefferson and Marion counties once again sparked hope that one might be one of the missing in southern Illinois…but there doesn’t seem to be any indication of that.

These incidents occurred this week, one on Sunday morning, August 25 at a location south of Ina in JeffCo, the other at around 4:22 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 27 in a vacant residence in Centralia (Marion County).

Authorities in both locations advised that they don’t believe there has been any foul play in either one, and an autopsy was scheduled for today the one found in the residence in Centralia.

However, it serves to underscore the painful situation that is current in southern Illinois: there are a LOT of missing people last seen in downstate.

You can follow the hotlinks on such names as Joel Moore and Beth Bentley to read about this phenomenon, which we’ve done extensive articles on, always referring to them as “the missing in southern Illinois.” Other missing individuals over the years, including Ed Hataway and Megan Nichols, were ultimately discovered to have likely been murdered, but these crimes are unsolved.

If you have an online membership to the e-Edition Archives, you can peruse this extensive “missing” database of articles at your leisure. If you’re a new reader to Disclosure, we encourage you to do so…you might know something about one of these cases.

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We aren’t like all the other simpering media “covering” southern Illinois…we say what everybody else is thinking, and we say it LOUD. So please join us on our remaining social networking pages: Gab, Minds.com and Twitter (although we’re considering dumping that swill – Twitter – too). Also, if you, unlike us, still have a Facebook page, feel free to share this on that page, too! The more you share, the longer we can stay around…so get clicking! And if you find yourself clicking a hotlink on a name or entity featured in this report that leads to a “you must be logged in to do that” response, hey…log in! Get yourself a Day Pass for only $2.99, or a Week Pass for only $4.99, to explore the vast resources of news we’ve provided in the e-Edition for the past SEVEN years…that’s right, every print version we’ve ever produced is right there, along with e-Edition Xtras and other pay-only articles, for literally pennies. Join today…click this link to get started!

CARMI, Ill. – Apparently word hasn’t gotten out that Carmi isn’t exactly one of the places in downstate Illinois that you need to be driving around in without a valid license.

A guy currently from Nason in Jefferson County, however, found this out very early this morning, Wednesday, August 28.

That was when Nathaniel B. Reed, 32 (showing addresses in both Nason as well as on East McHaney in Harrisburg) was stopped in Carmi, at 1:27 a.m.

Police stopped Reed on the parking lot of the Carmi Motel at that time, the stop prompted by an improper turn signal.

A little further investigation showed that Reed’s license was suspended/revoked, as well as the fact that he was operating the vehicle he was in uninsured.

Reed was taken into custody on the misdemeanors/infractions, and he remained in the city/county lockup as of this evening, unable to post bond.

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We aren’t like all the other simpering media “covering” southern Illinois…we say what everybody else is thinking, and we say it LOUD. So please join us on our remaining social networking pages: Gab, Minds.com and Twitter (although we’re considering dumping that swill – Twitter – too). Also, if you, unlike us, still have a Facebook page, feel free to share this on that page, too! The more you share, the longer we can stay around…so get clicking! And if you find yourself clicking a hotlink on a name or entity featured in this report that leads to a “you must be logged in to do that” response, hey…log in! Get yourself a Day Pass for only $2.99, or a Week Pass for only $4.99, to explore the vast resources of news we’ve provided in the e-Edition for the past SEVEN years…that’s right, every print version we’ve ever produced is right there, along with e-Edition Xtras and other pay-only articles, for literally pennies. Join today…click this link to get started!

POSEY CO., Ind. – Indiana State Police are working a sex crimes case that has the “name game” going on between an Illinois and an Indiana city, both called “Mt. Vernon.”

Indiana State Police report that they had initiated a criminal investigation on June 19 after receiving information that a 55-year-old Illinois man allegedly had sexual relations with a female that was under the age of 16.

During the investigation, Indiana State Police Detective Wes Kuykendall revealed Jonathan Mericle, 55, of Mt. Vernon, Ill., made contact with the female through a dating website. After texting and sharing pictures, they met on June 14t at an undisclosed location in Mt. Vernon, Indiana, and allegedly had sexual relations.

After reviewing the investigation, the Posey County Prosecutor’s Office issued a felony warrant for Mericle’s arrest. Yesterday evening (Friday, August 23) at approximately 5:00 p.m., Mericle was arrested at his residence without incident by Mt. Vernon, Ill., Police Department. He is currently being held at the Jefferson County Jail in Illinois.

U.S. DISTRICT COURT – Eight men were federally indicted today after attempting to have sex with children under the age of 18, U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft announced today, Tuesday, August 6, 2019.

The cases are part of “Operation Independence Day,” a nationwide initiative to combat child sex trafficking.

“Those who exploit children gain access to kids through various means, including social media apps. Cases like these remind us that serious dangers are no further away than a child’s cell phone,” U.S. Attorney Weinhoeft said. “The beginning of the new school year is a great opportunity for parents to take a closer look at their children’s internet activities and start a conversation about how to stay safe online.”

This year, Operation Independence Day consisted of 161 law enforcement operations executed during the month of July throughout all 56 FBI field offices. In addition to working with U.S. Attorney’s Offices, the FBI collaborated on the initiative with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and over 400 federal, state, local, and tribal agencies who participate in the FBI’s child exploitation and human trafficking task forces. More information about Operation Independence Day is available at https://www.fbi.gov/oid2019.

The Department of Justice announced today that the FBI-led initiative resulted in the recovery or identification of 103 child victims and the arrest of 67 sex traffickers nationwide. In Southern Illinois, Operation Independence Day led to the arrest and indictment of eight men.

U.S. Attorney Weinhoeft said, “Sex trafficking and child exploitation continue to impact our communities, and we will aggressively enforce the law against those who would prey upon children.” Earlier today, the following eight men were indicted in the Benton Division of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, each separately charged with attempting to entice a minor to engage in illicit sexual acts:

The men were all charged from July 19-21 in connection with an online, undercover investigation. No actual minors were harmed. Each of the offenses is alleged to have occurred in Williamson County, Illinois.

If convicted, the defendants each face a minimum penalty of 10 years imprisonment and could receive as much as life behind bars. The offense also carries a possible lifetime term of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Pending trial, all eight men will be held without bond or released on electronic monitoring and other strict conditions mandated by the Adam Walsh Act.

These cases fall under the umbrella of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

The investigation was conducted by the FBI, with the assistance of the United States Marshals Service, the Williamson County Sheriff’s Department, and the Herrin Police Department.

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INA, Ill. – The little village of Ina in Jefferson County had a bit of excitement today, but not the good kind.

Instead, an arrest was made after the execution of a search warrant on the home of a man on the 400 block of South Main.

Authorities took into custody Paul Grider, 31, on multiple counts of Possession of Child Pornography. It’s being reported that the JeffCo SD, along with Ina Police and Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, had been investigating Grider for almost a month.

Little else has been made public about the matter, including whether or not this alleged child porn was found on digital devices, films, photos in hard copy, etc.

However, Grider remains locked up at the Jefferson County Jail in Mt. Vernon on a $100,000 bond.

JEFFERSON CO., Ill. – A Jefferson County jury deliberating into the evening yesterday (Thursday, July 25) determined that a Mt. Vernon man was guilty of First Degree Murder in the shooting death of his own brother last summer.

In a case that we’re told caught many off-guard (this from relatives who emailed us in the wake of the reports), Matt Sloan, 37, was arrested and charged last July 4 (2018) when an incident with his brother David, 34, lead to the two leaving a drinking party, returning to Matt Sloan’s home, and Matt shooting David, this following a physical altercation at some point in time.

We were told by relatives a year ago that David an his wife had gone to Matt’s house following the partying and ostensibly the physical fight, and that Matt had gone into a room of the house, returning with a shotgun, which he pulled up to David’s face and fired at point-blank range. The gunshot killed David immediately.

During the trial, the jury heard that Matt Sloan believed he’d shot David in “self-defense”; however, they also learned that when police interviewed Matt Sloan, he claimed he didn’t know that he’d shot David, and instead claimed he shot a relative of David’s wife. Authorities later learned this “relative” was non-existent, a figment of Sloan’s imagination …or was just completely fabricated.

Whatever the reality of it was, the jury was given the case for deliberation at 4 p.m., and returned with a guilty verdict two hours later. Sentencing is set for September 26; the fact that a weapon was used in the commission of the murder will enhance the prison stay, which is mandatory for Class M convictions.

WILLIAMSON CO., Ill. – The U.S. District Court system in the Southern District of Illinois has had its hands full with alleged or convicted offenders out of Williamson County.

Here’s the recap, broken down into four separate presentations for each man.

WILLIAMSON COUNTY MAN CHARGED WITH FEDERAL DRUG OFFENSE

Adam R. Walker, 34, of Herrin, Illinois, has been charged by indictment with unlawfully possessing over 50 grams of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft, announced today (Wednesday, July 17). The indictment alleges that the offense occurred on May 1, 2019, in Williamson County.

Earlier today, Walker made his initial appearance in federal district court and pleaded not guilty. He was ordered held without bond pending a September 16, 2019 jury trial. If convicted of the offense, Walker faces a maximum possible penalty of 5-40 years imprisonment, 4 years supervised release, and a $5 million fine.

The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Marion Police Department.

WILLIAMSON COUNTY MAN SENTENCED TO NEARLY 20 YEARS IN PRISON FOR FEDERAL DRUG OFFENSE

Timothy S. (“Timmy”) Smith, 41, of Johnston City, Illinois, has been sentenced to a term of 235 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft announced today. Smith pleaded guilty to a one-count indictment earlier this year.

Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings established that from January to September, 2018, Smith was involved with numerous others in the distribution of methamphetamine in Williamson and Franklin counties. At sentencing, the judge found Smith responsible for distributing 2 kilograms of ice (methamphetamine with a purity level of at least 80 percent). Because of Smith’s extensive criminal history, he was classified as a career offender.

Smith’s sentence includes four years of supervised release.

The investigation was conducted by the Southern Illinois Enforcement Group. The Herrin Police Department, Johnston City Police Department, and Williamson County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation.

Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings established that Falcone was involved with numerous others in the distribution of methamphetamine in Williamson, Franklin, and Jefferson counties. At sentencing, the judge found that Falcone was responsible for the distribution of approximately 125 grams of ice (methamphetamine with a purity level of at least 80 percent). Falcone received an enhanced sentence because he possessed a dangerous weapon during the offense, which occurred between September 2017 and May 31, 2018.

Falcone’s sentence includes three years of supervised release.

The investigation was conducted by the Southern Illinois Enforcement Group. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Mt. Vernon Police Department, Illinois State Police, and Williamson County States Attorney’s Office assisted in the investigation.

PADUCAH MAN HIT WITH WILLIAMSON COUNTY DRUG CHARGE

Ronald R. Springfield, 35, of Paducah, Kentucky, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft announced today. According to the indictment, the offense occurred on April 30, 2019, in Williamson County.

Springfield made his initial appearance in federal court yesterday and pleaded not guilty. He was ordered held without bond pending a July 19 detention hearing. The charged offense carries a maximum penalty of up to 20 years imprisonment, 3 years supervised release, and a $1 million fine.

The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Southern Illinois Enforcement Group. The Energy Police Department assisted in the investigation.

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